Ex Mayor: ‘Leader thinks he is God Almighty’

A former mayor of Eastleigh has compared the Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council to “God Almighty’ saying “power has gone to head” after a small but determined group of Ukip activists staged a protest demo outside the civic offices yesterday (Tuesday 9 Dec).

The protestors called on EBC Leader Cllr Keith House to break his silence over an affair local Ukip’rs have dubbed as “Housegate.”

Cllr House had previously been in a long term with one of his eight-strong cabinet team but his relationship with the councillor – Louise Bloom – broke down earlier this year.

Cllr House subsequently entered into a relationship with another councillor, Tonia Craig, who is separated from her husband.

Craig was recently appointed to the cabinet. Since then Cllr Bloom – House’s former partner – has not attended any cabinet meetings.

The story came to public attention after Cllr bloom called Cllr House a “liar and a cheat” on social media.

So far, Cllr House has maintained what the Daily Echo has described as a ‘wall of silence’ and has refused to talk to the press.

The Echo has published a series of articles on the “Council Love Triangle “ and compared House to former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il also describing his refusal to talk to the press as “arrogant” and the elevation of Cllr Craig to the cabinet as a “swing vote too far.”

Local Lib Dems have insisted that although cabinet positions are the prerogative of the Leader, Cllr Craig was democratically elected to the post by the party group.

Eastleigh Borough Council has told Eastleigh News that they consider the matter to be a private one adding that council rules have not been breached by any of those involved either in respect of appointments or attendance.

A friend of Louise Bloom has also told Eastleigh News that Bloom has been too unwell to attend cabinet meetings although she is still actively working on behalf of residents.

However Ukip say that there is a conflict of interest in the current cabinet arrangements and Cllr House should make a statement to clarify his position or else resign and face a ‘back me or sack me’ by-election.

They also say that the current council administration that has been dominated by the Lib Dems for the last 20 years is unhealthy for democracy and that the current leader and cabinet system puts too much power in the hands of one person and should be scrapped.

Former Mayor Glynn Davies-Dear was a long serving Lib Dem Eastleigh councillor and is familiar with Keith House’s leadership style.

Davies-Dear left the Lib Dems in 2013 to sit as an Independent after he became disillusioned with the party following the formation of the Lib/Con coalition and MP Chris Huhne’s affair, as a result Davies says he fell out of favour with the local Lib Dem leadership.

Davies-Dear and Andy Moore were once staunch Lib Dem supporters but are now their severest critics

Davies-Dear joined Ukip last year along with fellow ex Lib Dem councillor Andy Moore and is now chair of Eastleigh Ukip branch while Andy Moore is the Deputy Leader of the Ukip group on Hampshire County Council having won the Eastleigh East division in last year’s county elections.

“No one should be criticising him (Keith House) because things happen in his love life, but if you are in a position like Keith House and what you do creates worry in the mind of the people who pay for him to be there then you have to be upright and you’ve got to tell people what is going on.

The impression he is giving us is that he is treating the council like his own property, that he can do what he likes with it to further his own interests, when you give that impression you are bring the council into disrepute.

He has been doing a good job for a long time but when power goes to your head you are going to make mistakes.

Get too much power and you get to the point when you think you are God Almighty.

You can do what you like and you are answerable to no one.

In Eastleigh Borough council if you upset Keith you are out, so you can’t afford to do it – he has got the power.

We have to get rid of the whole cabinet system, it’s undemocratic.

Forty out of forty-four councillors is not democracy, it is a one party state.”

Ukip County Councillor Chris Lagdon said:

“You can’t be a leader and hide.

There is only one controller of this council and that is Keith House – it’s a pseudo dictatorship.”

Cllr Andy Moore added:

“Seven days of not saying anything is not good enough, he is in a public position.

This situation is untenable, he needs to come and speak to the public.”

The protesting Ukip activists had parked their Ukip battle bus outside the council offices to draw attention to the their action but in the process they also drew the attention of a passing traffic warden.

Councillor House reacted to the demonstration on twitter describing it as :

“A motley collection of other party rejects and failed candidates with an illegally parked bus.

Sad people.”

Both local Labour and Conservative politicians have already branded the ‘Housegate’ saga as a ‘distraction’ from the ‘real issues’ facing people in Eastleigh.

99 comments for “Ex Mayor: ‘Leader thinks he is God Almighty’”

The leader of the UK Independence Party has taken £2m
of tax payers money in expenses and allowances as a
member of the European Parliament, on top of his £64,000
a year salary.

Nigel Farage, who is calling on voters to punish “greedy”
Labour, Conservatives, and Lib Dem MPs” at the EU
Elections, boasted of his personal expenses haul at a
meeting with foreign journalists in London.

Farage insisted that he had not “pocketed” the money
but had used the “very large sum of European taxpayers
money to help promote UKIP.
Sam

Willis Davidson

December 13, 2014 at 6:07 pm

nice one Sam, I wonder where you copied and pasted that comment from? Highlighting your text and googling it will answer that. lol

Good to see Eastleigh News report correctly that Mr Davies-Dear left the Lib Dems rather than defect. You can’t defect when you leave a party and join another 2 years later as reported inaccurately in other publications!

Rosie

December 10, 2014 at 6:24 pm

Unable to respond to requests from the local Press for statements yet able to put a totally unprofessional comment on Twitter. Not what is expected of the Leader of a Borough Council.
But it’s just what we’ve come to expect from someone who also sits on at least 2 Parish Councils (and was even Chair of one of those at the same time as Leading the Borough Council) which, from the public’s view, is a conflict of interests.
It is obvious from attending Council meetings that Lib Dems do the EBC Leader’s bidding, rather than acting objectively on behalf of the Parish and all the residents they represent. The Local Lib Dems in at least one Parish always favour residents on one side of the Parish, totally ignorning the needs and wishes of residents in the other half of the Parish. Coincidentally, if you plot the addresses of those Lib Dem Councillors on a map, it offers an explanation for that, and why they are so vociferous in protecting Hamble Lane whilst sacrificing huge swathes of their own Parish’s – and the Borough’s – best countryside! (Presumably, too, they’re focusing on the people they know who will vote for them and ignoring the rest!).
The timing of Councillor Craig’s appointment on the EBC Cabinet also strongly suggests personal favouritism by Councillor House (if I was her, I’d be concerned that it was also showing a wish for control on a personal level, which I’d find very worrying). It also explains why Councillor Craig has been able to get away with unprofessional behaviour on at least a couple of occasions. EG At one of the LAC meetings she was chairing, she had a conversation with the supposedly-impartial EBC Planning representative whilst a local resident was addressing the meeting (and the resident was the only person speaking in opposition of the Lib Dems’ wishes!). At a local Parish Council meeting, Councillor Craig lost her temper and behaved aggressively with one of the (very few!) non-Lib Dem Parish Councillors.
I have also heard rumours that people who are considering standing for election as Parish Councillors at the next elections have been told by local Lib Dem Councillors that they can only do so if they stand as Lib Dems… ! No surprise then that the Lib Dems have such a majority, if they are frightening off election candidates, especially ones who would wish to be Independent.
Who (or what body) is supposed to be monitoring these Lib Dem Councillors?
The Leader of our Borough Council has made this area and the local Lib Dems a laughing stock across the Nation. Something needs to done about it.

Judith Grajewski

December 10, 2014 at 7:16 pm

Anyone can stand for election to Parish Councils (provided they meet the qualifying criteria) and other local government bodies and parliament, too. In Chandler’s Ford, we have parish councillors from 3 political parties, Conservative, Liberal Democrat & Labour. Candidates do not have to belong to a political party at all to stand. When CF Parish Council first started in 2010 there were several Independent candidates who stood for election and delivered literature promoting their candidacy although none were elected by the voters.

Keith House

December 10, 2014 at 11:08 pm

Quite right Judith. Despite anonymous Rosie’s comments, the Pylands Lane/Sundays Hill development actually originated from a suggestion from the then Conservative/Independent-led Bursledon Parish Council on best locations for development, endorsed by the Lib Dem Borough Council – so hardly political.

People living next to development sites inevitably oppose them, but that does not make them poor choices for much needed housing.

Personalising these debates rarely helps the NIMBYs’ case – and with this one most of the complainants live in homes built in recent times, from greenfield sites.

Time for Real Change

December 11, 2014 at 8:24 am

Provide the evidence!

James

December 15, 2014 at 4:00 pm

How’s your girlfriend keith?

Eastleigh Bloke

December 11, 2014 at 10:28 am

Although if you stand as a LibDem you get the full support of the LibDem “machine” that canvasses and prints and delivers your leaflets.
Independents (and for that matter any other party) stands little chance against that.

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 7:20 pm

However there is one inaccuracy to correct and that is the false so called “falling out with the LD’s” The truth is Mr Davis-dear only left the LD’s after his best mate, Mr Moore, was de-selected as a councillor candidate for the 2011 local elections as he was deemed to be unfit to be a councillor. Mr Moore was so keen to be a LD councillor that after his de-selection he appealed the decision! The appeal was rejected despite Mr Moores and his witness Mr Davis-Dear, best efforts on the first Friday in January 2011. Mr Moore then resign the following Sunday with Mr Davis-Dear resigning on the Tuesday. They formed an Independant party as they were so keen to remain councillors, Mr Moore lost in 2011 and Mr Davis-Dear didn’t defend in 2012 because he didn’t get his nomination papers in on time.
Just wanted to clarify those untruths.

Eastleigh Xpress

December 10, 2014 at 7:26 pm

Good to clarify that a deselection and resignations does not constitute a ‘falling out”.

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 7:34 pm

Stephen the de-selection wasn’t because of a falling out it was as a result of Mr Moores conduct. The resignation from Mr Davis-dear was sour grapes over his friends inability to prove at appeal he was suitable to be a councillor. Like I said Mr Moore was very keen to remain a LD councillor otherwise why appeal?

Anyone who knows Andy Knows he is no Yes Man. It occurs to me that in Eastleigh LibDems: “Towing the line” is defined as doing exactly as Keith House says.
I think every LibDem knows that you do as General House says or you are out.

Am I right Paul?

Eastleigh Xpress

December 10, 2014 at 8:01 pm

‘Sour grapes’ but no falling out?

from Eastleigh News January 12 2011

“Councillor Davies-Dear was explaining his decision to quit the Lib Dems yesterday on the same day it was announced that Mr Huhne had divorced from wife Vicky Pryce – just ten months after sending everyone in Eastleigh a mailshot containing his wedding snaps:

“Chris Huhne gave me leaflets to deliver in the election extolling his virtues as a family man, how that had taught him to be a better MP.

“I now feel dirty when I hear that a family man was the least of his virtues. He was conducting an affair but didn’t even have the guts to tell his wife “

The Central Ward Councillor resigned along with Lib Dem Colleague Dave Broughton in protest at the de-selection of another colleague, councillor Andy Moore, the editor of Central Ward’s ‘Focus’ newsletters.

Eastleigh News understands Cllr Moore had lodged an appeal and that both Cllr Glynn Davies- Dear and Dave Broughton had made it clear to the party that ‘If Andy goes, we go’ – but Andy Moore was de-selected nevertheless.

It is further understood that the local party had been unhappy with the performance of the three councillors for some time and that all three were likely to face de-selection.”

At the time I asked Keith House why Andy Moore had been de-selected and he told me it was because they were looking for someone with a “different mix of skills.”

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:14 pm

So as you can see my timeline is correct. Chris Huhne was very opportunistic for them as no one had any idea until it broke. Mr Moore was de-selected due to his conduct outside of the party and council after complaints from a few members of the public with one in particular being particularly derogitory and prolonged over a period of time.
So yes initialy very much sour grapes for Mr Davis-Dear.
Yes treats were made by Mr Davis-Dear if Mr Moore was de-selected as he believed we wouldn’t de-select him given the treat. Wrong. And so they wondered in the political wilderness until they found a party that would take them both.

Time for Real Change

December 10, 2014 at 9:01 pm

Expand on why!

Dez

December 10, 2014 at 9:32 pm

LibDem Cllr Paul Bicknell, it is Interesting that you mention Chris Huhne. Wasn’t he the Eastleigh LibDem MP who was Jailed for perverting the course of justice? Seems you NASTY Liberals are all up to something..

Time for Real Change

December 10, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Answer with the truth! Why was he asked to leave!

Eastleigh Bloke

December 11, 2014 at 10:39 am

So Cllr Davies-Dear has a conscience and felt he could no longer represent a party with an MP that had fought his campaign using blatantly false literature.
We could do with more like him.

paul bicknell

December 11, 2014 at 11:33 am

Conscience NO. He only left becuase his mate Mr Moore was booted out. Mr Davis-Dear threatened the party thinking he was bigger than the party and we wouldn’t want to loose him. See previous comments. This was before the Huhne story broke. Equally does someone with a conscience and a “law abiding” citizen drive around in an untaxed car, Twice!

Dez

December 11, 2014 at 8:14 pm

Paul I reckon you should move to Swansea. You seem to have some sort of obsession with Road Tax.

Matthew Myatt

December 11, 2014 at 9:03 pm

O Yes, Please move.. You and your Party are so hated for the lies you have told to people locally and nationally..

UKIP Eastleigh is lucky enough to have Glynn as our Chairman as well as Andy, One of our very capable County Councillors.
LibDems have Paul Bicknell

Matthew Myatt

December 11, 2014 at 9:05 pm

Ha Ha Ha.. Yes, that’s a powerful weapon they have Jim. PMSL!

Eastleigh voter

December 18, 2014 at 11:27 pm

UKIP damp sqib at the Council meeting.
No support. Wasting your votes with this lot.

They have lots of hot air.

Probably all down the pub for a pint.
Enjoy!

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:01 pm

And would that be the same self righteous Mr Davis-Dear that was reported in a local paper as appearing in court having been caught driving without car tax? The very same person that was exposed as driving without car tax a few years later. On that occasion it was ok and acceptable as he wasn’t caught by the police!!
It went to the councils standard board though but regrettably as that was not a public meeting I am bound by confidentiality rules, which is a shame because not everything was reported in the local paper.

The punishment handed down by the standards board was strange to say the least.

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:27 pm

Your report was much better details than the other local paper. The standards board did what it could. Looking at your article Convenient the MOT station went out of business. I can’t comment on further details as I’m bound by confidentiality as the meeting wasn’t a public one.

And your problem is?? A sitting councillor ( at the time) blatently breaking the law. Unfortunately you don’t know all the facts and I’m bound by confidentiality. Suffice to say there was a little bit more to this than reported.

Signal Box Dave

December 10, 2014 at 8:32 pm

This comment has been removed as it broke house rules.

pianoman

December 10, 2014 at 8:43 pm

You must be talking about his spelling here?

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:47 pm

Never had one sunshine whoever you are hiding behind a fake name! Obviously you know me and probably work on the railway. If you are a railway employee you know to divulge any personal details of railway employees, especially on a public website, is gross misconduct and everyone knows gross misconduct can lead to dismisal.
So it may be worth clarifying your comment or deleting it.
Your suggestion is a blatent lie.

Signal Box Dave

December 10, 2014 at 8:51 pm

RAW Nerve.!! Ha Ha.! Be careful Paul.!

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:54 pm

No raw nerve just take my profession very seriously and will not have people suggest things that are not true regarding it . My profession and politics are very seperate indeed. Anyone who suggests otherwise about my profession is the one that needs to be careful.
As for the politics then I’m fair game.

Dez

December 10, 2014 at 9:41 pm

You are fair game especially being as you did not stand up for the residents in Eastleigh South over Stoneham. That will see you lose your seat!

Dez

December 10, 2014 at 9:38 pm

Paul Bicknell you talk about people Hiding behind fake names “SUNSHINE” or is it forest hump

paul bicknell

December 10, 2014 at 8:51 pm

Comment removed by moderator

Signal Box Dave

December 10, 2014 at 8:54 pm

Comment removed by moderator

Time for Real Change

December 10, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Lap dog

Dez

December 10, 2014 at 9:47 pm

hahahahaha

Eastleigh Xpress

December 10, 2014 at 9:23 pm

I’d like to respectfully remind posters that there are house rules regarding abusive or defamatory posts.

Comments are welcome and currently it is possible to place comments here completely anonymously but if rules are abused we will have to bring in user registration, like for example on the Echo website.

Reluctant to do this as I think it puts people off from commenting.

Your co-operation is appreciated!

pianoman

December 10, 2014 at 9:30 pm

Yes sir. Apologies if I wasn’t supposed to mention the spelling mistakes. Very un-PC.

Time for Real Change

December 10, 2014 at 9:29 pm

This is obviously a very emotive subject.
The personal aspects don’t interest me and are private. BUT the procedural aspects are under question. And should at least be questioned and challenged openly and by the Monitoring person.
If all is very and I say very above board… Well!

Time for Real Change

December 10, 2014 at 10:41 pm

I am sure Cllr House will give an honest and detailed explanation of his actions at both the cabinet and full Council meetings.
With the voting slips as evidence!

Councillor Paul Bicknell, All I am seeing lately is your constant snide LibDem blabber here there and everywhere, that includes Twitter. Surely your time and energy would be better spent representing the people of Eastleigh South?
Maybe my suspicion is correct. You no longer speak for the people in South ward especially when you admit you voted in favour of the 1,300 houses to be built on Historic Stoneham park!

Is it a case of Keep Boss man happy and maybe one day a cabinet post just like Sollitt?

paul bicknell

December 11, 2014 at 11:48 am

No secret on my voting in council when the local plan was debated as it was a recorded vote!
Perhaps your time would equally be better spent on informing the public your plans. I see your party has formed HALT but WON’T give any details on it. No one in your party will tell the public what they’d do about housing, it’s all oppose but won’t propose. Is that because you actually have no idea?
Perhaps you spend too much time running the so called community page “Eastleigh Hampshire” that activiy promotes your party, deletes comments from people that don’t follow your agenda and blocks people from commenting that don’t follow your agenda. Perhaps you ought to be up front and name it Ukip Eastleigh Hampshire and change the caption “this page is not run by the council it’s run by Ukip” ?

I Love Cllr Houses unprofessional Tweet about illegally parked bus.
A traffic warden approached us outside Eastleigh House and suggested we move the bus before walking away and standing at 20 yards watching for 15 min without issuing a ticket.
Perhaps a UKIP supporter like so many other Eastleigh people are these days! That includes many EBC employees.

Time for Real Change

December 11, 2014 at 8:35 am

Oh the Pink Polluting Kipper Bus. MOT,d locally?

Time for Real Change

December 11, 2014 at 9:18 am

There were lots of them at the protest!!!!

paul bicknell

December 11, 2014 at 11:40 am

Nothing wrong with Tweet as it was factual, at least 3 people in picture are other party rejects!
As for traffic warden I think it was prudent and sensible they watched from a distance ensuring no issues were caused by your illegally parked bus. Imagine your outcry if it had been ticketed. Very sensible traffic warden avioding unneccesary confrontation.
By the way was the bus taxed?

Paul. Changing the subject just a little bit here and for the benefit of Eastleigh News readers. Did you vote in favour of the unwanted Stoneham Development?

Willis Davidson

December 13, 2014 at 6:02 pm

And why was the bus outside the Council office parked illegally? maybe its something to do with fact the new 18 million quid council office has NO PARKING!
In fact who remembers that story about Keith House giving ALL council office employees 800 pound a year for parking
EVEN IF THEY DON’T OWN A CAR!
Yes you read that correctly.

The old Council office had a big free car park for all the staff and visitors. It also had a Council Chamber and enough room to store all the files and everything else….

Because all the poor Liberal Democrat Councillors used to get cold in the old building, Keith decided Hey, Lets spend 16 million quid on some glitsy brand new office building with Solar panels and everything. It wont have a Council chamber or a car park but instead of fixing the heating in the old office, heck lets just build a new one.. It’s not our money ahaha!!!

Oh sorry, did I get confused with the total cost, was it 18 or 16 million pounds of taxpayers money? NO ONE KNOWS The LibDems wont release that information because they say it hasn’t all been accounted for yet!

I don’t see how anybody, be it Cllr House or anybody else, should be in the position of leading a Borough Council whilst in a relationship with another Councillor. Particularly now that one Councillor has been dumped in favour of a different one and there are ill-feelings and tensions within the Cabinet…

Time for Real Change

December 11, 2014 at 10:03 am

Interesting Choice of venue for the Full Council meeting on the 18th December…. A Church! Begging for forgiveness?

Dez

December 11, 2014 at 10:17 am

Well House thinks he is God Almighty so where better? There he will be, dressed in his white suite while the likes of Bicknell kneel before him! Time for Real Change, what’s the address and what time does it start?

Just up the road from me and walking distance too. Might be worth going to that one…!

paul bicknell

December 11, 2014 at 11:35 am

No white suits or kneeling so I’m afraid you’ll be well disappointed.

G Morell

December 11, 2014 at 3:32 pm

Is this Paul Bicknell actually a Councillor supposedly representing the People of Eastleigh? If so, is he aged 16 or younger? He sounds as though he is whining in the school playground. If that is the case, I expect he can get his big daddy, aka Keith House, to sort it all out for him.

Grow up and start acting like the adult elected representative you are meant to be instead of a spoilt schoolboy!

Matthew Myatt

December 11, 2014 at 4:08 pm

Very well said.

Mr Bicknell is a very junior member of the FibDems locally and has no role with any real responsibility. Perhaps this reflects how his fellow devil worshipers feel about him and his ability.

Paul was out delivering leaflets in South Ward– I called him- he kept walking. When I told Paul- He said: I play music, I don’t want stop and
listen to people. I know you won’t admit it Paul, but you know its true.
Sam

I had a discussion* with Paul Bicknell last night at the Highwood exhibition – he says some daft things and is unable to debate me a chairman of a planning committee should – I supplied the facts he supplied the nonsense.
One of my facts is that Lib Dem’s campaign material consistently highlights amenity provision (pavillion on the park , Berry theatre , now Lakeside) and this is all paid for by developer contributions – so developer money wins them elections.

Trains go down the tracks laid out for them , they are predictable and inflexible because the driver only controls the speed.

One thing I asked him was what was the difference between the 2001 plan and the 2014 one , all he could say was new sites became allocated for housing I explained that the recession of 2008 should have substantially changed the methodology of housing provision and an attempt at business as usual is very damaging to the people of Eastleigh.

When corruption and lies win elections, the community loses the ability to make good decisions and our future is harmed because the people capable of lying are not the people capable of leading.

UKIP are just as nuts

I question whether the chairman of LAC should even look at Highwoods planning application before it is submitted ???? Paul ????

* I had to follow him around making my criticisms of his plan , he was anxious and irate , if he thought he had a good position he would have been calm and in good humour, as I was

Mr Bicknell , Mr House…. debate me , you can pick the moderator , you can even employ a consultant to help , it will make a great final act to your careers

Only deal in facts

December 13, 2014 at 2:27 pm

The fact is, UKIP are the only party who can beat the LibDems. A vote for Labour is wasted as they cannot win in Eastleigh! Nor can the Tories. If you genuinely want this Idiot Bicknell and the other self serving LibDems out, You have to vote tactically. Voting for anyone other than UKIP simply helps the LibDems keep a grip on power. Ask yourself why the LibDems never mention UKIP in their Hocus Focus Election result charts. Notice they also only ever say that the two horse race is between them and Conservative. Yet in the last election UKIP smashed the LibDems in the EU result and came second in all but a few borough seats.

there are things I like about UKIP , and only deal in facts i like your name and you might be right , but UKIP alienated me by appealing to racists and making romanians feel unwelcome in my country , where is the flood of Romanians by the way ? The Hungarians who have arrived in my community are good people , I like them , and truth be told I value them more than the average Eastleigh benefit recipient.

The problems with UKIP are deep and dangerous , national partys bring nothing to local politics apart from budget and branding Only independents can represent us. It is not a fact that ‘a’ vote for UKIP removes lib dems because only a third of councillors are up for re-election so we would have a year of 30Lib -10Ukip -4Tory at best and maybe no policy would change

Lets arrange a debate UKIP , lets get Labour and the tories there too, I will be an independent – the libs will all stay on their mothership drinking blood

Our kids need the capable people in Eastleigh to stand up for them and there is more common ground than you think

Simon

December 13, 2014 at 5:51 pm

Are you saying that there are no people who you would consider as racist voting for Labour, Conservative or LibDem? If someone ran as an Independent, are you saying that out of everyone who voted for them, not one person would ever have a racist thought or make a racist comment?

Do you actually know the true meaning of the word racist? in fact, do you know how daft your whole comment is? Isn’t labeling UKIP voters, in fact as bad as what YOU accuse those people of?

It is people who spout the sort of nonsense you have (above) that create deep and dangerous problems in our society. Hypocrites that do not realize when they are being hypocritical.

As far as I see, UKIP say what the man on the street is thinking and because of that, they get support from all sorts of people. Men, Women, black and white alike.

If UKIP get 10 cllrs, yes it is true they will not hold the balance of power. They will however have broken the LibDem totalitarian regime and pave the way for real change in the following 2 years.

Independents would never win in Eastleigh, your suggestion is ludicrous and simple allows the Liberals to remain in power because all Ind candidates would do is split the votes up!

I did agree with your Mother ship drinking blood comment tho. Very good!

Simon – I said ‘appealing’ to racists, a racist is more attracted to UKIP than labour/tory/libdem because you blame migrants and it is not rational, we need migrants ,
I made some points in that post that you took no position on
1 I like hungarians more than chavs
2 National parties bring local politics nothing
3 where are the 1million romanians ?
4 lets have a debate

party politics is divisive to communities Simon because it colours decisions with a doctrinal position which is not required

National party local Councillors try and score points on the national stage , 2 independent Councillors are much more likely to work together, and that is what we need I am a man in the street,I’m just educated.

If Lib dems are so awful why accept their rejects in your party ?

all national party local candidates dream of a political career to the detriment of their community.